When the Darkness Comes
by Melissa Brooks
Summary: Somebody tries to shoot Victor, but Marty takes the bullet instead. Victor realizes that she has an association with the same organization that held him prisoner when he notices the tattoo on her arm.


When the Darkness Comes  
AN: This story is written from Victor's point of view.

I was at the hospital visiting Dani with Tea, but as soon as I had gotten there I knew that I had made a mistake in going. Her room was filled with so many people: Blair, Jack, Clint, Vicki, Tea, Danni and worst of all my brother Todd.

"What's wrong?" Tea asked as she looked at me.

How could I explain the paralyzing fear, and claustrophobia that I felt every time we went out in public when I didn't understand it myself. "Nothing...I'm just going to get a cup of coffee. Do you want anything?" I asked.

"No, I'm fine...hurry back," Tea stated as she looked at me like she was afraid that if I left I would disappear forever. I wanted to console that fear that I saw in her eyes, but I couldn't because disappearing seemed like a good idea sometimes.

I stepped out into the hallway and I headed to the cafeteria when I heard a loud bang and felt a crushing force knocking me to the ground. Everything seemed frozen as the screaming voices from the people in the room became muted. Life was still moving, but it was slower somehow and then I saw her.

She was lying on the floor beside me and I realized that she had pushed me out of the way and had taken the bullet that was meant for me. I placed my hands over her back to try and stop the bleeding and moved the hair out of her face. "Marty," I gasped as I realized that my savior was Marty Saybrooke.

XOXOXO

"Marty," I gasped over and over again as I tried to keep the blood from flowing out of her.

"Victor, are you...is that Marty?" Tea asked as she ran out into the hallway.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Todd asked as he ran up to us.

"Stay away from her!" I shouted as I cradled Marty closer to my chest.

"Bring her over here...I've got to get her into surgery," Doctor Larry Wolek stated as he approached us.

I followed Doctor Larry's directions and placed her on a hospital bed and watched as they rushed her out of the room.

"What happened?" Tea asked.

"Somebody tried to kill me, but Marty...she saved me," I stated.

"Too bad they didn't succeed. If anything happens to Marty then I'll finish what they started," Todd grumbled as he glared at me.

"Are you hurt?" Tea asked me.

"No...I got to go home and change," I said as I realized that I was covered in her blood.

"That's a good idea, I'll come with you," she offered.

"No, stay here with Dani. I want a couple minutes to my self," I replied as I headed outside.

When I had escaped from the facility, I knew it was only a matter of time before they found me and tried to eliminate me. I thought that I had been prepared for it, but I was wrong. I removed my clothes and hopped in the shower. I felt so much anger and rage, ready to explode that I hit the wall of our shower over and over again until I saw my own blood washing down the drain right along with hers.

I covered my ears with my hands as the noises and images of watching Marty being shot played over and over again in my mind. They had taken so much from me over the years, I couldn't lose Marty because of them as well.

XOXOXO

I sat there in the shower, rocking myself back and forth as the images of seeing Marty covered in blood bombarded my mind. I tried to move, but I couldn't...I felt frozen in the nightmare and I didn't know how to stop the images from replaying in my mind. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear the faint ringing of my telephone, but the task of getting out and answering it was too daunting.

I don't know how long I had been sitting there, but it was long enough that the water felt like ice against my skin.

"Victor?" I heard Tea calling out my name as she walked into the bathroom.

"What? I thought I told you that I wanted to be alone," I said as I managed to stand up again.

"We've been trying to call you for the last hour. Didn't you hear the phone ring?" Tea asked.

"Not really, what's wrong? Did something happen with Marty?" I asked.

"Yeah...she's lost too much blood and the hospital doesn't have enough. Todd has already donated, but it's still not enough. She needs another transfusion and she needs it soon or she's going to die," Tea explained.

"She's not going to die...I'm not going to lose her," I said as I forced myself to get out of the shower. I quickly got dressed and headed to the hospital with Tea.

XOXOXO

"It's so good of you to finally grace us with your presence," Todd stated sarcastically as I walked into the hospital.

"Shut the hell up and tell me where I need to go," I snapped as I glared at him.

"I'll just show you, I don't want you to get lost," Todd grumbled as he led me down to a room at the end of the hallway.

"Why didn't you answer your phone? You should have been here instead of deserting Marty after she got shot saving your worthless life," Todd growled.

"I'm here now and I'm going to be the one that saves her," I gloated as I sat down in the chair and the nurse stuck the needle into me.

"I don't care who's blood saves her as long as she lives, but if she doesn't then I'm going to kill you," Todd threatened as he walked away.

I laid back and thought of all the precious time that I had spent with Marty before we broke up. When she found out that I had been lying to her...she hated me, or at least I thought she did. Why would she take that bullet for me?

When I was finished donating my blood, I went into the waiting room and sat next to Vicki.

"She's going to be okay Victor," Vicki said as she grabbed my hand.

"I hope so...I owe her so much," I said as my voice got caught in my throat.

We waited for a couple of hours when Doctor Larry Wolek walked into the waiting room.

"How is she?" Todd and I asked at the same time as we stood up and walked towards him.

"We managed to get her bleeding under control. She's still in critical condition, but she's alive thanks to the blood that both of you donated.

"Can I see her?" I asked.

"Yes...she's still unconscious and should be for quite some time, but I don't see any reason why she can't have visitors as long as you keep it one at a time," Doctor Larry explained.

"I'm going to go see her first," Todd demanded.

"Over my dead body," I said as I pushed him out of my way and I headed toward Marty's room.

I slowly entered Marty's room and sat by her side. She looked so frail being connected to all of these tubes and machines. I paused as I grabbed her hand. I felt sickened when I saw the same tattoo that marred my flesh on the inside of her wrist. This tattoo could only mean one thing...Marty had been in the same hell that I had been in for the last year of my life. I looked at the pillow underneath her head and wondered if she would be better off if I put her out of the misery that I knew was waiting for her.

XOXOXO

I looked around the room as I thought about smothering her with her pillow. I knew that death would be kinder then letting her wake up when I knew what kind of hellish existence waited for her.

There was no one around, I could easily lock the door and close the blinds while I ensured that she would no longer be tortured.

My fingers trembled as I reached out and moved the hair out of her face. As much as I wanted to save her, I couldn't. Being in this room with her and watching her sleep was the first time that I had felt peace in over a year. She was my light in my otherwise dark existence and I couldn't bring myself to kill her.

"I don't know how, but somehow, I'm going to help you survive this," I promised as I began to cry.

I sat with her for an hour when Todd came barging into the room. "You've been with her long enough. It's my turn now so get out," Todd demanded.

I wanted to punch him in the face, but I didn't want to do anything that would upset Marty just in case she was listening. "I'll go, but I'll be watching," I warned as I headed out into the hallway. I stood in front of the mirror and I watched through the glass window. I didn't care how long I had to stand there, I wouldn't leave her alone with him.


End file.
